Data and maps compiled by Greifswald Mire Centre 16th November 2021 Sharm el-Sheikh/Greifswald A first comprehensive assessment of global peatlands will be presented in an official side event State of the Worlds Peatlands – Global Peatlands Assessment: Evidence for action toward peatlands conservation at the World Climate Summit COP27 at 17th November 2022 from 13:15-14:45 (GMT+2). The assessment includes an updated version of the Global Peatland Map compiled by the Greifswald Mire Centre (GMC) and provides latest science on peatland distribution, trends, and pressures. Most importantly, it recommends actions for the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of peatlands, in particular for climate protection and adaptation to climate change. Peatland ecosystems are relatively rare, covering around 3-4% of the planet’s land surface, and often undervalued. They contain up to one third of the world’s soil carbon - twice the amount of carbon as found in the entirety of earth’s forest biomass. Their estimated carbon store is in a range of 450,000 to 650,000 megatons. When drained, this carbon is being released into the atmosphere as CO2. Keeping this carbon locked away is thus absolutely crucial to achieving global climate goals. Thus, the Global Peatland Assessment (GPA) e.g. recommends: * Prevent and phase out harmful operations like drainage. It is causing around 4 % of total global anthropogenic emissions. If greenhouse gas emissions from drained and degraded peatlands continue at this rate, this will consume 12% of the emissions budget that remains to keep global warming below +2 °C and 41% of the emissions budget that remains to keep global warming below +1.5. * Create financial and fiscal incentives to strengthen and scale-up conservation, restoration and sustainable management of peatlands in public and private sector funding. * Establish fair and gender-responsive governance systems and empower stewardship on peatlands by Indigenous People and Local Communities “The Global Peatlands Assessment has been made possible through the collaborative process between 226 peatlands experts from 54 countries contributing voluntarily. It presents the diversity and uniqueness of global peatlands as a key Nature-based Solution for climate and nature action.” says Dr. Alexandra Barthelmes, coordinator of the Global Peatland Database at the Greifswald Mire Centre. At the side event, the GPA’s input information, spatial data generation, collation approaches, and the current gaps in coverage and resolution are presented in detail.
In a global context of the UNEA-4 Resolution on the “Conservation and Sustainable Management of Peatlands” the assessment might be a step towards a future Global Peatlands Inventory. The side event is organised by Succow Foundation (MSF)/Greifswald Mire Centre (GMC) in cooperation with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Global Peatlands Initiative (GPI) and UNEP-WCMC together with the Convention on Wetlands.
Among the speakers are the GMC’s director Dr Franziska Tanneberger, also Coordinating Lead Author of the European chapter, and Dr Samer Elshehawi (GMC), Coordinating Lead Author of the African chapter.. Invitation to the press:
We would be happy to arrange interviews with the representatives of the Greifswald Mire Centre, Dr Franziska Tanneberger and Dr Samer Elshehawi, on the ground at Sharm el-Sheikh. Please do not hesitate to contact us! |
